Psalm 136:6
New International Version
who spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever.

New Living Translation
Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters. His faithful love endures forever.

English Standard Version
to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;

Berean Standard Bible
He spread out the earth upon the waters. His loving devotion endures forever.

King James Bible
To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

New King James Version
To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever;

New American Standard Bible
To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His faithfulness is everlasting;

NASB 1995
To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

NASB 1977
To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness is everlasting;

Legacy Standard Bible
To Him who spread out the earth above the waters, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

Amplified Bible
To Him who stretched out the earth upon the waters, For His lovingkindness endures forever;

Christian Standard Bible
He spread the land on the waters. His faithful love endures forever.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
He spread the land on the waters. His love is eternal.

American Standard Version
To him that spread forth the earth above the waters; For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:

Contemporary English Version
The Lord stretched the earth over the ocean. God's love never fails.

English Revised Version
To him that spread forth the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
to the one who spread out the earth on the water- because his mercy endures forever.

Good News Translation
he built the earth on the deep waters; his love is eternal.

International Standard Version
to the one who spread out the earth over the waters, for his gracious love is everlasting—

Majority Standard Bible
He spread out the earth upon the waters. His loving devotion endures forever.

NET Bible
to the one who spread out the earth over the water, for his loyal love endures,

New Heart English Bible
To him who spread out the earth above the waters; for his loving kindness endures forever:

Webster's Bible Translation
To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

World English Bible
to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his loving kindness endures forever;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
To Him spreading the earth over the waters, "" For His kindness [is] for all time.

Young's Literal Translation
To Him spreading the earth over the waters, For to the age is His kindness.

Smith's Literal Translation
To him spreading the earth upon the sea: for his mercy is forever.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who established the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth for ever.

Catholic Public Domain Version
He established the earth above the waters, for his mercy is eternal.

New American Bible
Who spread the earth upon the waters, for his mercy endures forever;

New Revised Standard Version
who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
To him who stretched out the earth above the waters; for his mercy endures for ever.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
To him who spread out the earth upon the waters, for his mercies are to eternity.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
To Him that spread forth the earth above the waters, For His mercy endureth for ever.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
To him who established the earth on the waters; for his mercy endures for ever.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
His Loving Faithfulness Endures Forever
5By His insight He made the heavens. His loving devotion endures forever. 6He spread out the earth upon the waters. His loving devotion endures forever. 7He made the great lights—His loving devotion endures forever.…

Cross References
Genesis 1:9-10
And God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered into one place, so that the dry land may appear.” And it was so. / God called the dry land “earth,” and the gathering of waters He called “seas.” And God saw that it was good.

Exodus 14:21-22
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove back the sea with a strong east wind that turned it into dry land. So the waters were divided, / and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with walls of water on their right and on their left.

Job 26:10
He has inscribed a horizon on the face of the waters at the boundary between light and darkness.

Isaiah 51:10
Was it not You who dried up the sea, the waters of the great deep, who made a road in the depths of the sea for the redeemed to cross over?

Jeremiah 31:35
Thus says the LORD, who gives the sun for light by day, who sets in order the moon and stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the LORD of Hosts is His name:

Nehemiah 9:11
You divided the sea before them, and they crossed through it on dry ground. You hurled their pursuers into the depths like a stone into raging waters.

Psalm 33:7
He piles up the waters of the sea; He puts the depths into storehouses.

Psalm 104:6-9
You covered it with the deep like a garment; the waters stood above the mountains. / At Your rebuke the waters fled; at the sound of Your thunder they hurried away— / the mountains rose and the valleys sank to the place You assigned for them— ...

Proverbs 8:29
when He set a boundary for the sea, so that the waters would not surpass His command, when He marked out the foundations of the earth.

Jonah 1:9
“I am a Hebrew,” replied Jonah. “I worship the LORD, the God of the heavens, who made the sea and the dry land.”

Matthew 8:27
The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the sea obey Him!”

Mark 4:39-41
Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the sea. “Silence!” He commanded. “Be still!” And the wind died down, and it was perfectly calm. / “Why are you so afraid?” He asked. “Do you still have no faith?” / Overwhelmed with fear, they asked one another, “Who is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Luke 8:24-25
The disciples went and woke Him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters, and they subsided, and all was calm. / “Where is your faith?” He asked. Frightened and amazed, they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey Him!”

John 1:3
Through Him all things were made, and without Him nothing was made that has been made.

John 1:10
He was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him.


Treasury of Scripture

To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endures for ever.

Psalm 24:2
For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods.

Psalm 104:2,3
Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain: …

Genesis 1:9
And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

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Earth Endures Endureth Everlasting Forever Forth Kindness Loving Loving-Kindness Mercy Spread Spreading Steadfast Stretched Unchanging Waters
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Earth Endures Endureth Everlasting Forever Forth Kindness Loving Loving-Kindness Mercy Spread Spreading Steadfast Stretched Unchanging Waters
Psalm 136
1. An exhortation to give thanks to God for particular mercies.














who spread out the earth upon the waters
who spread out
The phrase "who spread out" in Hebrew is "לְרֹקַע" (leroqa), which conveys the idea of stretching or expanding. This imagery is reminiscent of a craftsman skillfully spreading out a material to create something vast and beautiful. In the context of creation, it emphasizes God's sovereign power and intentionality in forming the earth. The act of spreading out suggests order and purpose, contrasting with chaos. This reflects the biblical theme of God bringing order from disorder, as seen in the Genesis creation narrative.

the earth
The term "earth" in Hebrew is "הָאָרֶץ" (ha'aretz), referring to the physical world or land. In the ancient Near Eastern context, the earth was often seen as a flat expanse, a concept that aligns with the imagery of spreading out. Theologically, the earth is portrayed as God's creation, a testament to His glory and a place for humanity to dwell. The earth's creation is a foundational aspect of God's covenant relationship with His people, as it provides the setting for His interactions with humanity throughout biblical history.

upon the waters
The phrase "upon the waters" in Hebrew is "עַל הַמָּיִם" (al hamayim). This evokes the imagery of Genesis 1:2, where the Spirit of God hovers over the waters before creation. In ancient cosmology, waters often symbolized chaos and the unknown. God's act of spreading the earth upon the waters signifies His dominion over chaos, bringing stability and life. This imagery reassures believers of God's control over the natural world and His ability to bring peace and order into their lives. The waters, once a symbol of chaos, become a foundation for God's creative work, highlighting His transformative power.

(6) While this section in many points recalls the account of creation in Genesis, it employs terms from other parts of Scripture.

Stretched out.--A word and idea peculiar to Isaiah and this psalm (Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 44:24); properly to beat out with the feet, then to overlay with a plate of metal (Isaiah 40:12). The earth is regarded as a flat plate that has been beaten out and spread on the face of the waters, whereas in Genesis it is pictured as emerging out of the waters.

Verse 6. - To him that stretched out the earth above the waters (comp. Isaiah 42:5; Isaiah 44:24; Psalm 24:2). For his mercy, etc.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
He spread out
לְרֹקַ֣ע (lə·rō·qa‘)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7554: To pound the earth, to expand, to overlay

the earth
הָ֭אָרֶץ (hā·’ā·reṣ)
Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

upon
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

the waters.
הַמָּ֑יִם (ham·mā·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

His loving devotion
חַסְדּֽוֹ׃ (ḥas·dōw)
Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 2617: Kindness, piety, reproof, beauty

endures forever.
לְעוֹלָ֣ם (lə·‘ō·w·lām)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 5769: Concealed, eternity, frequentatively, always


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OT Poetry: Psalm 136:6 To him who spread out the earth (Psalm Ps Psa.)
Psalm 136:5
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